Ch.59Promoted to a City (4)

The city’s miners were all summoned.

They needed to extract the minerals discovered at the cross-section of the mountain range.

All knights were armed and guarding the site.

Gambrinite is an incredibly expensive mineral beyond imagination.

I don’t know how much of it is buried, but everyone will be mobilized until it’s all mined.

The rest of the villagers built mining facilities at the cross-section.

First, they installed a palisade to block outside access, and inside they set up barracks for the guards and miners.

“A mine… I really can’t believe it…”

The administrator muttered while watching people busily moving about.

“But what happened to that mountain…?”

“It’s a long story to explain.”

“Was it magic…?”

“Well, something like that.”

Alreina’s power comes from magical energy, not aura or holy power.

In the original work, Alreina was a magic swordsman. She blew away that mountain with magic.

She’s definitely gotten stronger since meeting the Witch of Sighs.

At this rate, she should be able to follow the strategy guide without major problems.

From now on, no ordinary person will be able to stop Alreina.

“Jack! Jack!”

Brasya, who had been leading several pigs to be used as food at the mine, came wobbling over.

“Uuugh, Ms. Brasya… the talking goblin…”

The administrator, frightened of Brasya, hid behind my back.

“Hey you. Did you fight with Mirella?”

“No, we didn’t fight.”

“Then why isn’t Mirella coming out of her room? I heard crying sounds when I checked.”

“Yeah. I’ll go see her later.”

I made a mistake with Mirella.

I shouldn’t have brought up Alreina then.

Mirella considers Alreina her rival and reacts very sensitively.

But in that situation, I went looking for Alreina.

For Mirella, who physically protected me, it must have been bewildering and hurtful.

I was thoughtless. I should apologize when I get back later.

“And you know what? When I was coming up earlier, I saw some people I’ve never seen before entering the village.”

“Huh? What kind of people?”

“I don’t know. They looked very proper.”

“C-could they be… from the royal palace…?”

Just as the administrator hiding behind me spoke, I saw two people rushing over from the distance.

The 2nd Division Captain and Adelheid Remugen, who was being dragged by her wrist.

“Imperial soldiers! Imperial soldiers have appeared!”

What, imperial soldiers?! Again?!

“Q-quick, go check…!”

The administrator pushed my back frantically and fell forward while trying to run ahead.

“Brasya. Help the administrator up. I’ll go ahead.”

“Eek!? Ms. Brasya…! Don’t come near me!”

As I ran hard toward the village, a knight in the watchtower directed me to head north.

Passing the potion shop and reaching the northern entrance, I saw Liberone facing several people.

“Liberone!”

“Perfect timing. This is Jack, our village’s acting administrator.”

Liberone introduced me to the people.

The people talking with Liberone were all wearing uniforms.

Looking closely, they weren’t imperial uniforms but those of royal officials from the kingdom our village belongs to.

“Hello. We’re here for the city promotion evaluation.”

It really was the royal promotion evaluation team!?

Behind them was a woman with an extremely dissatisfied expression who appeared to be a mage.

So that’s how they could arrive so quickly.

Wait, let me think. The evaluation takes at least three days, so they’ll need lodging.

If they had contacted us in advance, we could have prepared.

Fortunately, we’ve built many wooden buildings in preparation for the city promotion.

There’s a place intended as an inn where they can stay.

Throughout the journey to their lodging, the evaluation team members admired the village.

“You’ve prepared very thoroughly.”

“Indeed. We couldn’t be careless when hosting such distinguished guests who’ve come so far. Besides, the city promotion is vital for our village.”

“These days, the gap is so severe—villages remain villages while cities continue to develop. This is impressive.”

“Jack…! Jack…!”

Just then, I saw the administrator running over from the distance.

“That’s our administrator. A graduate of the 61st Imperial Civil Service…”

“Oh my?! Bellamy?!”

The mage who had been following behind us with an irritated expression shouted.

“Aren’t you Bellamy?!”

“Eh…? Blanchard…?”

“Bellamy!!”

The mage teleported forward and jumped into the administrator’s arms.

“I missed you!!”

“Hehe… Blanchard… It’s been years…”

The mage named Blanchard buried her face between the administrator’s chest with a bright smile and took a deep breath.

“Ahh, soft and warm… I really missed this…”

For a moment, I wondered if this mage was the same type as the 2nd Division Captain.

The mage, leaving the administrator’s embrace, asked:

“You’re the administrator here? In this rural backwater?”

“Y-yeah… That’s how it turned out…”

“How is the great Bellamy wasting away in a place like this?”

“I know…”

“Excuse me, do you two know each other?”

When one of the evaluation team members asked, the mage answered:

“We were classmates at the Imperial Talent Training Institute. I specialized in magic, and Bellamy—I mean, the administrator here—was the top scorer in the Imperial Civil Service Exam.”

“Oh! The top scorer?!”

“Someone who should at least be in the Imperial Secretariat…”

The evaluation team members were extremely surprised and couldn’t hide their admiration.

“Well, we’re going to catch up, so the rest of you can go about your business. I’m not needed anyway, right?”

The mage put her arm around the administrator’s waist and walked toward the town hall.

The remaining evaluation team members exchanged bewildered glances before following my lead to the inn.

As soon as they unpacked at the inn, the evaluation began.

The administrator should have been present, but since the mage had taken her away, I decided to handle it.

In this world, mages have such high status that none of the evaluation team members suggested bringing the administrator back.

* * * * *

The administrator, having returned to the town hall with her training institute classmate Blanchard, slowly prepared tea.

Her movements were so sluggish that it might frustrate onlookers, but Blanchard’s eyes overflowed with affection as she watched the administrator.

Like most mages, Blanchard had a rather difficult personality.

No one at the training institute was friendly with Blanchard, except Bellamy who accepted her.

For Bellamy, who had been suffering from depression even before taking the exam, Blanchard was a good friend.

Being naturally gloomy and easily broken, Bellamy found Blanchard’s fiery and strong-willed personality acted like a potion for her.

So throughout their time at the institute, they were inseparable friends.

Then their paths diverged, they lost contact, and now they’ve met again.

“I didn’t know you were coming to the royal palace…”

Bellamy said, handing over a teacup.

“If I had known, I would have written a letter…”

“I’m here for the regular talent exchange between the Empire and the Kingdom. But why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to go to the Imperial Capital?”

“Just… I was scared… I didn’t have confidence I could do well there…”

“I see. It must have been hard. But this place doesn’t seem that great either.”

Blanchard sipped her tea and glanced at the Starting Village map on the wall.

“Completely on the edge with nothing around. If it were me, I’d commit sui— Forget I said that.”

“It’s okay… I don’t think about suicide anymore…”

Bellamy pulled down the long sleeves of the black clothes she always wore and smiled gloomily.

No one in the village knows, but under those sleeves, Bellamy’s wrists are covered with numerous scars.

“Still, you’re amazing, Bellamy. Thinking of promoting this backwater to a city. From what I saw earlier, it’s better developed than most small towns.”

“Ah, that… Jack did it all…”

“Jack? That pale man we just saw? The acting administrator? What does he do?”

“He owns the village potion shop… And he’s the person I’m going to marry… Ugh!”

Blanchard spat out her tea, spraying Bellamy’s face.

“Oh my, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay…”

Bellamy smiled and took out a handkerchief to wipe her face.

“You’re marrying him?”

“Yeah… He’s helped me in many ways… I’ve become someone who can’t live without Jack…”

“Is it big?”

“Huh…?”

“Is it so big that nothing else can satisfy— Ack!”

This time, Bellamy spat out her tea.

“It’s not like that… We haven’t gone that far yet… I must remain pure until marriage…”

Bellamy handed a handkerchief to Blanchard with a gentle smile.

“You know… I originally came here to die… Not just cutting my wrists, but really die…”

Bellamy spoke quietly as she watched Blanchard wiping her face.

“I ran away because I was scared… There was nothing here… No sign of improvement… Everything I tried kept failing… So I was going to kill myself… but then Jack appeared…”

Bellamy’s eyes became dreamy and unfocused.

“Jack… gave me potions… and revitalized the village… He gave me hope that tomorrow would be better than today…”

“You’re completely smitten.”

“Yeah… When we get promoted to a city, I’ll resign as administrator… I want to marry Jack… have children and live happily…”

“To think that Bellamy would think about getting married and becoming a mother. What is this Jack guy anyway?”

“I don’t know… Maybe… an angel who came down to save me…”